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2 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report examines what we know (and don t know) about how food manufacturers, food retailers, and banks benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps). The nation s largest food assistance program, SNAP expenditures grew to $72 billion in 2011, up from $30 billion just four years earlier, and is projected to increase even more if the economy does not improve. Right now, Congress is debating the 2012 Farm Bill and some politicians are proposing massive cuts to SNAP at a time when more Americans than ever need this important lifeline. Meanwhile, some health experts are raising questions about whether it makes sense to allow SNAP purchases for unhealthy products such as soda and candy. Advocates are also looking for ways to incentivize healthy food purchases. While much attention has focused on how farm subsidies fuel our cheap, unhealthy food supply, SNAP represents the largest, most overlooked corporate subsidy in the farm bill. Our research found that at least three powerful industry sectors benefit from SNAP: 1) major food manufacturers such as Coca-Cola, Kraft, and Mars; 2) leading food retailers such as Walmart and Kroger; and 3) large banks, such as J.P. Morgan Chase, which contract with states to help administer SNAP benefits. Each of these sectors has a critical stake in debates over SNAP, as evidenced by lobbying reports, along with important data being kept secret. Key findings about corporate lobbying on SNAP: Powerful food industry lobbying groups teamed up to oppose health-oriented improvements to SNAP The food industry also joined forces with anti-hunger groups to lobby against SNAP improvements Companies such as Cargill, PepsiCo, and Kroger lobbied Congress on SNAP, while also donating money to America s top antihunger organizations At least nine states have proposed bills to make health-oriented improvements to SNAP, but none have passed, in part due to opposition from the food industry Coca-Cola, the Corn Refiners of America, and Kraft Foods all lobbied against a Florida bill that aimed to disallow SNAP purchases for soda and junk food Key findings about how much money retailers gain from SNAP: Although such data is readily available, neither USDA nor the states make public how much money individual retailers make from SNAP

3 3 Congress does not require data collection on SNAP product purchases, despite such data being critical to effective evaluation USDA told a journalist in Massachusetts he was not allowed to make public data on retailer redemptions from SNAP after he received the data In one year, nine Walmart Supercenters in Massachusetts together received more than $33 million in SNAP dollars over four times the SNAP money spent at farmers markets nationwide In two years, Walmart received about half of the one billion dollars in SNAP expenditures in Oklahoma One Walmart Supercenter in Tulsa, Oklahoma received $15.2 million while another (also in Tulsa) took in close to $9 million in SNAP spending. Key findings about how much money banks gain from SNAP: USDA does not collect national data on how much money banks make on SNAP J.P. Morgan Chase has contracts for Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) in half the states, indicating a lack of competition and significant market power Contract terms vary widely among states, indicating a lack of efficiency and standards In California, a 7-year contract worth $69 million went to Affiliated Computer Services, a subsidiary of Xerox In Florida, J.P. Morgan Chase enjoys a 5-year contract worth about $83 million, or $16.7 million a year In New York, a 7-year deal originally paid J.P. Morgan Chase $112 million for EBT services, and was recently amended to add $14.3 million an increase of 13% States are seeing unexpected increases in costs, while banks are reaping significant windfalls from the economic downturn and increasing SNAP participation. KEY RECOMMENDATIONS Congress should not cut SNAP benefits at this time of extreme need USDA should make data on SNAP retailer redemptions available to the public Congress should require USDA to collect data on SNAP product purchases USDA should collect data on SNAP bank fees to assess and evaluate national costs USDA should grant states waivers to experiment with health-oriented improvements to SNAP. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to Christopher Cook for superb research and writing, Brandy King, Susan Miller, Sarah Pearlman, and Amy Wong for expert research assistance; to Siena Chrisman, Andy Fisher, Nick Freudenberg, Anna Lappé, and Ben Lilliston for helpful feedback on earlier drafts; to Haven Bourque and Lena Brook for top-notch media outreach; and Ross Turner Design for professional layout. This report was written by Michele Simon, public health attorney and president of Eat Drink Politics, an industry watchdog consulting group. Contact her at: (510) or 2012 Eat Drink Politics

4 4 WHY THIS REPORT RIGHT NOW? A debate over how SNAP dollars should be spent erupted in 2010 when New York City requested a waiver to conduct a two-year trial to prevent SNAP funds from being used to purchase sugarsweetened beverages. While the U.S. Department of Agriculture denied New York s request, other state and local policymakers around the country are also seeking more flexibility from the federal government. (USDA denied a similar request from Minnesota in 2004.) Several states have proposed bills similar to New York s approach, to modify SNAP eligible items to promote health. But each time, the food industry fought these bills. To date, none have passed. Food makers and retailers obviously are huge beneficiaries of SNAP. But the public is not privy to information about exactly how much money these companies are making. Moreover large banks such as J.P. Morgan Chase receive significant fees from electronic benefit transfers or EBT. States bear much of the burden of these administrative costs. Is this the most cost-effective way to administer a critical food assistance program at a time of severe budget cuts? Could we feed more needy Americans with some of the profits these corporations are making? In this election year, food stamps have been much in the news. In a campaign trail jab, presidential candidate Newt Gingrich referred to President Obama as the food stamp president even though SNAP enrollment grew more rapidly under the previous administration. 1 It s true that more Americans than ever are relying on SNAP dollars to help make ends meet during the recession. In fiscal year 2011, both federal expenditures for SNAP ($72 billion, excluding costs) and the number of participants (45 million) were the highest ever. 2 More than one in seven Americans receives SNAP benefits. This year monthly participation topped 46 million, and a report from the Congressional Budget Office projects these numbers to climb even higher, peaking in 2014 and coming down after that, assuming an economic recovery. 3 In part because the program has increased so dramatically in recent years, it has become an easy target for some politicians. In current budget and farm bill debates, House Republicans are proposing drastic cuts of $33 billion over ten years, while the Senate is somewhat less draconian, proposing a $4.5 billion reduction over ten years. But any cuts to this vital program will only hurt millions of American families. Meanwhile, despite almost 15 percent of Americans being hungry enough to rely on federal assistance, the nation also suffers from an epidemic of diet-related chronic diseases such as diabetes. Often these two problems are related because

5 5 in many areas of the country, people simply do not have access to healthy, fresh, affordable food. Given the adverse health consequences from overconsumption of unhealthy processed food and beverages, many public health advocates have started to question the wisdom of allowing government funds to be used to purchase such products. In response, groups advocating for anti-hunger programs strongly defend the current policy of allowing participants to purchase (almost) any foods and beverages. Thus, an unfortunate divide has formed, pitting some public health advocates against certain anti-hunger groups. Meanwhile, the food industry, along with the banks, have escaped the public limelight of this debate. Given the huge economic stakes SNAP is projected to top $80 billion in the next fiscal year this report examines how much food makers, retailers, and banks benefit from a program that is intended for improving nutrition for those who need it most. The goal of this report is to provide policy makers, advocates, and SNAP participants with the information needed to develop policies that ensure SNAP resources are used to reduce food insecurity and promote healthier diets, and not to subsidize the profits of the food industry or banks Farm Bill Budget Food assistance comprised about 68 percent of the 2008 Farm Bill budget almost all of it spent on SNAP. The next three largest programs are relatively small wedges of the farm bill pie. 4 The program could be larger because as of 2009, only 72 percent of Americans who qualified for SNAP were enrolled. 12% Commodity Support Food Assistance 68% 10% 9% 1% Crop Insurance Conservation Additional Programs

7 7 PROGRAM ORIGINS The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is the nation s largest and most important food assistance program. The original Food Stamp Program was initiated toward the end of the Great Depression to provide both a new market for farmers surplus crops and relief for Americans living in poverty. As an article published in the Maine Policy Review explains, the idea of specifying product purchases is not new; from the program s inception, the government placed significant proscriptions on purchases. 5 The idea was to both help those in need, and address the nation s agricultural surplus. It s clear from this history that fresh produce was the main thrust of the program. The article notes: In July 1941, at the height of the growing season in many states, all fresh vegetables were placed on the surplus list, while canned and frozen vegetables were excluded. At the same time...[according to a news account at the time 6 ] soft drinks, such as ginger ale, root beer, sarsaparilla, pop, and all artificial mineral water, whether carbonated or not, were removed from the list, and retail food merchants were warned not to sell those items for orange stamps or blue stamps. However, natural fruit juices, such as grapefruit, orange, grape or prune were not considered soft drinks and could still be sold for orange stamps. Newspaper accounts from that era do not reveal any public or political kerfuffle over the removal of soft drinks from the list of items that food stamps could buy Congressional debate over soda In 1964, Congress took up the issue of whether soda could be purchased with food stamps. 7 Senator Paul Douglas, a liberal Democrat from Illinois, made this impassioned plea for not including soda: I do not want to include Coca-Cola or Pepsi-Cola or any of that family. I like them myself, but I do not believe they should be permitted to be substitutes for milk. They are not valuable for the diet. They can be a waste of money especially for young people. Personally, I think it is a great mistake to include them My suggestion is that the item which is included be not merely soft drinks, but carbonated soft drinks. That would exclude Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Dr. Pepper, and all the varieties of the family of cola drinks. If we include them, this will be used as propaganda against an otherwise splendid and much needed measure. I want to help the poor and hungry and not sacrifice them for Coca-Cola. The Senator knows that these have no nutritional value none at all.... Actually, they are bad for kids, rather than good for them. I hesitate to use such language, but the only benefit I can see in the present language is that it will increase the sales of the Coca-Cola and other cola and soft drink companies.

8 8 Senator Douglas lost that vote and that s where things have stood ever since. Then in 1975, Senator Bob Dole (Republican from Kansas) noted the purpose of food stamps: The program s reason for being presumably is the nutritional enhancement of poor people s diets. He cited a report by the American Enterprise Institute that criticized the program for its vast increases in soft drink purchases and other foods of low nutritional value by program beneficiaries combined with surveys showing how such purchases replaced healthier foods. Dole concluded that such findings clearly would indict the program, leaving it vulnerable to attack. 8 A brief history of food stamps* 1939 to 1943 A pilot version of food stamps begins. Program participants buy orange stamps, to be used for food and household items (including soap and matches, but not alcohol, tobacco or prepared foods); also receive blue stamps for commodity surplus foods, which change weekly and include items such as beans, flour, eggs, pork and fresh produce. As of 1941, soft drinks are excluded from the program The Food Stamp Program is signed into law as part of a series of policies meant to address poverty. Participants still buy coupons for subsidized food purchases. A proposal to limit the purchase of soft drinks and luxury foods is eliminated in the final bill. Alcohol and tobacco are still excluded, as are imported foods Garden seeds and plants added as approved items. Imported food ban lifted Participants are no longer required to purchase food stamps. Restaurant meal program begins for seniors, disabled, and homeless people Welfare reform and changes in food stamp administration making eligibility more difficult contribute to a dramatic decrease in participation Changes made to streamline program: eligibility re-expanded; re-certification becomes easier; Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card used nationwide, modeled on credit/debit cards, intended to reduce stigma and increase participation Farm Bill: Program name changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); Healthy Incentives Pilot authorized to research the effectiveness of subsidizing healthy foods Record enrollment in SNAP, at 46 million or 1 of every 7 Americans. *Sources available from Enough to Eat: Food Assistance and the Farm Bill.

9 9 BIG FOOD LOBBYING AGAINST HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS TO SNAP Given the huge stakes for the food and beverage industry in the debate over SNAP purchases, lobbying has played a critical role in shaping public policy. Unfortunately, due to reporting rules, it s difficult to paint the entire picture of exactly who lobbied and how much money was spent against any one proposal, such as the New York City waiver application to USDA. Nevertheless, the following sections demonstrate the lobbying muscle the food industry has brought to bear on this issue. According to an article describing the lobbying strategy in the New York Times 9 : Some of the big industry groups have signed up lobbying firms. The Duberstein Group, led by Kenneth M. Duberstein, a chief of staff to President Ronald Reagan, reported that it had received $100,000 in the first quarter of this year to lobby for the Grocery Manufacturers Association on various issues, including proposals to restrict the use of food stamps. National food lobbying groups who teamed up to fight NYC proposal to USDA to remove soda from list of eligible food items for SNAP 10 Food Marketing Institute: food retailers and wholesalers National Grocers Association: retail and wholesale grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry Grocery Manufacturers Association: promotes and represents the world s food, beverage, and consumer products companies Snack Food Association: international trade association of the snack food industry representing snack manufacturers and suppliers National Confectioners Association: (candy makers: candyusa.com) American Beverage Association: represents the non-alcoholic, refreshment beverage industry

10 10 Each corporation and trade group lobbying against SNAP reform is politically powerful and spends enormous sums on influencing policy in general. For example, PepsiCo reported it spent $750,000 lobbying the federal government in just the third quarter of Coca-Cola spent $1.15 million in just the fourth quarter of last year. 12 And that s only for federal lobbying, not state or local issues like the New York City fight. Moreover, food lobbyists have several top anti-hunger groups on their side in opposing SNAP changes. America s candy companies lobby to preserve food choice Given policymakers emphasis on soda, we would expect to see the soda lobby strongly oppose the NYC waiver but more surprising is how the candy lobby has put its resources into opposing improvements, presumably because its interests are also at stake. On a page devoted to the issue on the candy lobby s website, one can download several documents including: 13 Preserving food choice talking points Coalition Statement on Preserving Food Choice in SNAP/Food Stamps USDA document from 2007, Implications of Restricting the Use of Food Stamp Benefits Summary (from which the candy lobby derives many of its talking points). The candy lobby even worries that children may be deprived. From their preserving choice talking points: Sometimes good intention goes too far. For example, limiting food choices in SNAP could deny children an occasional treat during the holidays such as Christmas, Halloween, Hannukah, Easter, etc. and for birthday parties, shouldn t parents be able to make the decision whether treats will be offered? Sampling of Big Food federal lobbying in ORGANIZATION WHO THEY LOBBIED ISSUE American Beverage Association Congress, USDA Sugar issues & SNAP Cargill Congress, USDA SNAP Coca-Cola Congress, USDA SNAP* Food Marketing Institute Congress, USDA SNAP, preservation of food choice Grocery Manufacturers Association Congress, USDA Restrict use of SNAP Kellogg Congress SNAP... in Farm Bill Kroger Congress SNAP and WIC funding Mars Congress Administration of SNAP PepsiCo House Restrictions on SNAP Snack Food Association Congress, USDA SNAP, Farm Bill J.P. Morgan Chase USDA EBT Walmart Congress, USDA, White House federal nutrition programs *Coca-Cola reported lobbying on, ensuring choice and fairness in food assistance programs, demonstrating the challenge of researching which corporations and trade groups are lobbying specifically on SNAP.

11 11 Who is Michael Torrey? Profile of a lobbyist working to stop improvements to SNAP Michael Torrey is a lobbyist who knows his way around Washington, as evidenced by his previous employers in both governent and the private sector. According to the New York Times, 15 the Food Research and Action Center (a prominent anti-hunger group) led an effort to assemble a loose coalition of food industry lobbyists and anti-hunger groups opposed to restrictions on the use of food stamps. This coalition was also coordinated by Michael Torrey. According to James McCarthy, president of the Snack Food Association, (whose members include Kraft and Frito-Lay), Michael Torrey was under contract with the trade group. In one lobbying report, Mr. Torrey said he had received $30,000 from the Snack Food Association to lobby Congress and the administration on issues including the preservation of choice in the food stamp program. Revolving door syndrome? 16 Prior to becoming a lobbyist in 2005, Michael Torrey s employers included: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ( ) INTERNATIONAL DAIRY FOODS ASSOCIATION ( ) SENATOR BOB DOLE ( ) KANSAS GRAIN AND FEED ASSOCIATION ( ) Torrey was listed as Treasurer for the Crop Insurance Research Bureau PAC 17 (crop insurance is a major issue in the 2012 Farm Bill). His firm s clients have included: 18 DEAN FOODS Largest U.S. dairy processor SNACK FOOD ASSOCIATION GROCERY MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION WHOLE FOODS MARKET

12 12 Big Food donations to anti-hunger groups: conflict of interest? Among the most vocal opponents of health-oriented improvements to SNAP purchases are several national antihunger groups, each of which accepts significant funding from major players in the food industry. For example, Cargill, the Food Marketing Institute, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Kellogg, Kroger, Mars, PepsiCo, and Walmart have all donated to both the Congressional Hunger Center 19 and Feeding America, 20 two groups that strongly opposed the New York City waiver application to USDA. While it s not clear exactly how such relationships might influence policy positions, the potential for conflict exists. Other groups that do not take corporate money also oppose SNAP waivers to modify product purchases. Yum! Brands failed attempt to expand food stamps for fast food In September 2011, Yum! Brands, the owner of KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, lobbied to expand SNAP for fast food, but retreated after public outcry and a cool reception from USDA. 21 Currently, states can decide to allow SNAP purchases in restaurants, but only for the homeless, elderly, and disabled populations that may have difficulty preparing meals. To date, only a handful of states utilize this option and Yum! wanted more to come on board. The National Restaurant Association was in favor of the idea but the National Association of Convenience Stores opposed, their lobbyist telling USA Today, I m not sure that s in the best interest of public health. 22 Meanwhile, Ed Cooney, executive director of the Congressional Hunger Center defended the move against critics, saying fast food was better than going hungry and that he was solidly behind what Yum! is doing. Food Politics author and New York University Professor Marion Nestle called Cooney s position a conflict of interest, asking: Want to take a guess at who funds the Congressional Hunger Center? Yum! is listed as a Sower, meaning that its annual gift is in the range of $10,000. I m guessing Yum! is delighted that it is getting such good value at such low cost. 23 State-level lobbying In the wake of the New York City waiver request to USDA, a number of states have taken similar interest in how SNAP dollars should be spent, with the aim of improving nutrition. At least nine states have introduced legislation proposing health-oriented changes to SNAP. Because USDA has jurisdiction over how SNAP dollars are spent, states cannot simply mandate changes. Instead, many state bills have taken a two-step approach: 1) require that the appropriate state agency apply to USDA for a waiver; 2) assuming the waiver is granted, describe how the state would then improve SNAP purchases. The ideas range from using other food assistance programs (such as WIC) as a guide, to specifying certain items that shouldn t be allowed, such as cupcakes. To date, none of these bills have made it through the legislative process, thanks to heavy pushback from the food industry. For example, in California, State Senator

13 13 Michael Rubio encountered a flurry of opposition to his bill, SB 471. The California Restaurant Association (CRA) reported to its members that the bill would have prohibited the use of food stamps to buy junk food and specified that restaurant food would fall under the definition junk food. 24 The restaurant group lobbied forcefully at the beginning of the session and CRA succeeded in securing an amendment from Rubio to exclude restaurants. The California Grocers Association also weighed in, arguing the plan would be entirely unworkable for supermarkets. 25 In Illinois, a bill by State Senator Linda Holmes proposed a general ban on the use of SNAP benefits to purchase foods of minimal nutritional value. 26 Due to opposition, the measure, according to Holmes, did not make it out of the Assignments Committee, which means it is dead. 27 Among those opposed were the Illinois Food Retailers Association and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association. Rather than restricting foods, a representative of the food retailers explained, they would prefer to allow and encourage the more frequent purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables. Who determines what is in and what is out? Who stays on top of all these new products? This would be an administrative nightmare for the grocery industry. 28 State focus: Florida In Florida in early January 2012, Republican State Senator Ronda Storms introduced SB 1658, which proposed expanding the list of items that may not be purchased, and prohibiting the use of benefits in restaurants, among other provisions. 29 (Florida currently has a pilot program in just one county for SNAP use in restaurants. 30 ) Storms probably wasn t prepared for what happened next. As the New York Times Mark Bittman reported, Soon after Storms proposed the bill, she told me, Coca-Cola and Kraft were in my office hating it. 31 Storms also told Fox News that the biggest opponents she faced were Coca- Cola, the soda companies, the chip companies, and the convenience store operators. Why is that? Because they know they are raking it in from food stamps. 32 Groups that lobbied against Florida SB Coca-Cola Corn Refiners of America Florida Beverage Association Florida Petroleum Marketers Florida Retail Federation 34 Kraft Foods

14 14 States attempting to pass SNAP improvement bills 35 California SB 471 Requires State (to extent permitted by federal law) to modify the list of allowable food items so that no CalFresh benefits may be used to purchase sweetened beverages containing more than 10 calories per cup [with exceptions]. (2011) Florida SB 1658 Would add to the list of prohibited items: foods containing trans fats; sweetened beverages, including sodas; sweets, such as jello, candy, ice cream, pudding, popsicles, muffins, sweet rolls, cakes, cupcakes, pies, cobblers, pastries, and doughnuts; and salty snack foods, such as corn-based salty snacks, pretzels, party mix, popcorn, and potato chips. (2012) Illinois HB 1480 Requires State to seek a waiver from USDA to allow the State to specify certain foods that may and may not be purchased in Illinois including a general ban on the use of SNAP benefits to purchase foods of minimal nutritional value such as carbonated soft drinks, snack cakes, candies, chewing gum, flavored ice bars, and fried, high-fat chips. (2011) Iowa HF 288 Would request authorization from USDA to allow the state to restrict the use of food assistance benefits for food items with a low nutritional value. (2011) Oregon HB 3098 Requires State to ensure that SNAP benefits may not be used to purchase foods that contain high levels of refined sugar, such as candy, soda, energy drinks, cookies, and other similar foods prescribed... (2011) Nebraska LB 267 Requires State to seek a waiver from USDA to limit SNAP beverage purchases to milk, one-hundred-percent juice, and plain water. (2011) Pennsylvania HR 59 (resolution) Requests that Congress change SNAP so that it more closely tracks with the WIC Program in terms of healthy choices for people. (2011) Texas HB 3451 Would seek a waiver from USDA to restrict the purchase of food items with minimal nutritional value by amending the list of allowable food items under the program to better align that list with the allowable food purchases under WIC and the school lunch program, and cites to the relevant federal statutes. (2011) Vermont HJR 13 (resolution) Urges USDA to authorize each state to create its own list of foods eligible for purchase with SNAP funds or authorize a demonstration project allowing the state of Vermont to develop its own list. (2011)

15 15 LACK OF DATA ON SNAP PURCHASES There are two types of data the public currently does not have access to that would give us a much clearer picture regarding SNAP expenditures: 1) retailerspecific; and 2) product-specific. USDA does not make public how much each store gets reimbursed, although it does have this data (as do the states). We only know totals by category of retailer (see below), or upon request, by zip code. Also, USDA does not currently have legal authority to require retailers to report specific purchase data for products. USDA only knows the dollar amount of each SNAP participant transaction. Such data is critical to evaluating SNAP effectiveness as well as to inform policy discussions on how to encourage healthier SNAP purchases. How much SNAP money is spent at which retailers? In 2010, a journalist in Massachusetts made an information request that caused quite a stir. Michael Morisy, who runs the site MuckRock.com a service to help reporters and others file public record requests sent a simple request to the state of Massachusetts: The four years of food stamp reimbursement data through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from financial year 2006 through financial year The state honored the request, providing Morisy with the names and addresses of each store, along with the dollar amount of SNAP funds spent at each store. Morisy promptly made the information public on his website. But a few months later, Massachusetts officials sent an to Morisy warning him that the information on individual retailer redemptions was posted in violation of federal law and claimed the data was erroneously released by the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, the agency handing the request. The message, signed by the acting general counsel of the Department of Transitional Assistance cited a federal statute and threatened that [f]ailure to remove this information may result in fines or imprisonment. 37 According to the Boston Globe, USDA was behind the attempted data recall. The state said they should have known the information was not supposed to be made Did You Know...? Nationwide, there were about 230,000 SNAP-authorized retailers in Although supermarkets and supercenters make up less than a quarter of SNAP retailers, more than 83 percent of SNAP benefits are spent there; convenience stores make up one-third of all authorized retailers but account for just four percent of expenditures. 39

16 16 public. The Globe also tried to ask USDA for further explanation: Two Agriculture Department officials were unable to answer questions yesterday about why the type of information published on MuckRock cannot be released. 40 Why indeed? The state, facing outcry from First Amendment lawyers defending Morisy s right to post the data, soon dropped the legal threat, claiming it was just relaying information from USDA. 41 The complete Massachusetts dataset can be found in an interesting Google fusion table. 42 In one fiscal year (2009/2010) the nine Walmart Supercenters in Massachusetts received more than $33 million in SNAP benefits more than four times the amount spent at farmers markets nationwide in That figure does not even include the other many Walmart stores in the state. 44 In his current quest for more SNAP data, this time directly from USDA, Morisy is asking for ten years of food stamp reimbursement data (2000 to 2010) including retailer names, addresses, cities, state, and reimbursement sums broken down by year. So far, USDA has rejected the request, but Morisy s appeal of that denial is still pending. USDA says it is not allowed to release any financial information and that redemption amounts, or EBT sales figures, for each store may [only] be disclosed for purposes directly connected with the administration and enforcement of the Food Stamp Act and these regulations. 45 The reason for this is unclear. As Tufts University food economics professor Parke Wilde noted at the time of Morisy s original request: In general, the federal government shares information about the location of SNAP retailers but not the amount of redemptions at each retailer. According to the Boston Globe today, it is possible that the data were released in error, and MuckRock may have to take down the data. This would be too bad. Just as the farm subsidies received by individual farmers are subject to freedom-of-information rules, and can be shared with the public, it seems reasonable to think of SNAP benefit payments to retailers as public information rather than fully private business information. Perhaps a reasonable compromise would be to stipulate a threshold for small retailers below which the exact dollar amount need not be made public. 46 Walmart receives half of all SNAP dollars in Oklahoma Given the company s scope, it makes sense that Walmart would be a huge beneficiary of SNAP spending. But just how much remains unclear. Walmart has become the nation s largest grocery chain, controlling percent of food retail, which is the biggest share of any food retailer in history and bigger than the next three retailers combined. In addition, in 29 metropolitan areas, Walmart controls 50 percent or more of the grocery market. 47 Last year, reporters in Tulsa, Oklahoma were able to access detailed data covering a two-year period from the state health department. This report represents a rare glimpse into how SNAP dollars get spent in one state and begins to paint the picture of Walmart s significant role. As they discovered, nearly half of all food stamp spending in

17 17 Oklahoma was at Walmart. According to the Tulsa World: 48 Much of the nearly $1.2 billion in food stamp expenditures went to Walmart stores, which brought in about $506 million between July 2009 and March 2011, according to data supplied by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. The table below shows the enormity of Walmart s reach in just this one area compared to several other outlets. The Tulsa paper reported that six Walmart stores were among the state s topten recipients of SNAP dollars, and Warehouse Markets (a local chain) held the other four spots. The paper also reported individual store expenditures. One Walmart Supercenter in Tulsa received $15.2 million while another (also in Tulsa) took in close to $9 million. Even a smaller Walmart Neighborhood Market received $6.6 million while a Walmart outside of town Oklahoma store Wal-Mart Warehouse Market Homeland stores Reasor s Dollar General Save-a-Lot 7-Eleven QuikTrip SNAP receipts $506 million $65 million $67 million $31 million $25 million $24 million $12 million $10 million Source: Oklahoma Department of Human Services, mid-2009 to early 2011 A very significant percentage of all SNAP dollars are spent in Walmart stores, in some states up to fifty percent - LESLIE DACH EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS, WALMART 49 (Glenpool) received more than $3 million, all in less than a two-year period. It s not surprising so much SNAP money is being spent at Walmart and the retailer does sell a variety of foods. However, the Massachusetts and Oklahoma data raises questions about how much SNAP is subsidizing this huge corporation. Also, without data on product purchases (discussed in the next section), we don t know if Walmart is contributing to the health of SNAP participants, or potentially undermining the program s nutrition goals. How much SNAP money is spent on soda and other products? The Center for Science in the Public Interest reported in 2010 that $4 billion in SNAP dollars is spent on soft drinks each year 50 and this figure has been repeated many times since, 51 particularly regarding the New York City waiver request. However, this unpublished data is based on extrapolations from one supermarket chain that shared its data with CSPI anonymously. We should not be making important public policy recommendations and decisions based

18 18 on secret anecdotal data. Rather, we should be gathering comprehensive data from the entities that are have it or could gain access to it: USDA and retailers. Current USDA contract aims to collect SNAP purchase data? Last year, USDA issued a request for information apparently to companies who could gather and report SNAP purchase data. 52 Several vendors applied and a company called IMPAQ won the contract for $739, What is this company doing for that much money? USDA officials declined our request to find out, saying they were not at liberty to discuss any part of the contract. 54 (The company wouldn t tell us either.) From a Q&A on the USDA website, it appears that USDA knows little about SNAP purchase data: We are aware of several commercial datasets, but don t have a firm grasp of the variety, price, and variables available in such datasets. It seems ironic that in a time of fiscal restraint that USDA needs to pay a third party to find out how to get this data. Last December, Senator Ron Wyden (D- OR) introduced the FRESH Act (Fresh Regional Eating for Schools and Health), which aims to, among other provisions, increase accountability in the SNAP program by requiring corporations receiving more than $1 million a year to provide taxpayers with an itemized receipt for their share of the SNAP program. 55 This seems like a perfectly appropriate proposal, but so far the bill has not moved forward.

19 19 BANKS AND SNAP EBT FEES In the late 1990s and early 2000s, as part of a larger shift toward privatizing welfare systems and putting benefits on ATMstyle Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, states across the country began contracting out the administration of food stamp and welfare benefits. (SNAP was required to completely convert to EBT by 2002.) Each state some teaming up in regional purchasing alliances pays an outside firm to handle its EBT systems and facilitate SNAP transactions an apparently profitable market that has attracted several large banks. EBT is not only used for SNAP but also for other programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The national EBT market is dominated by J.P. Morgan Electronic Financial Services (a subsidiary of J.P. Morgan Chase Bank), which has contracts in 24 states along with Guam and the Virgin Islands. When a single provider has such significant market share, it suggests limited competition and excessive market power. Other corporations in the EBT market include Affiliated Computer Services (a subsidiary of Xerox) which runs 13 state EBT systems; Fidelity National Information Services, handling 11 states and Washington, D.C.; defense contractor Northrop Grumman operating EBT in Illinois and Montana, and Evertec with the contract for Puerto Rico. 56 How much money do the banks make from EBT fees? In 2010, SNAP EBT operating and equipment costs (split between the states and the federal government, as are all SNAP administrative costs) amounted to more than $314 million, according to USDA data. California incurred the highest costs, topping $65 million, with the next highest being New York State at more than $21 million. 57 However, no national-level data is available on the total value of the states EBT contracts with the banks. In s, officials at the USDA Food and Nutrition Service confirmed there is no national monitoring of contracts, other than the counting of total participants and expenditures. 58 So we made public record requests to a handful states, for both contracts and fee payments. Each state EBT contract is different, depending on state laws and the contracting company. In general, the companies obtain multi-million-dollar deals over a several-year period, but the terms evolve through change orders and amendments that can increase or diminish the state s payments. The companies are generally paid monthly on a perparticipant basis for an array of services including benefits disbursement, customer support, and other services.

20 20 In the states we examined, contracts for providing EBT and related services range in term from 5-7 years, often with renewal clauses ranging from 1-3 years. Such relatively long contract and renewal periods suggest limited competition in the market for EBT services. Although state contracts are public record, they do not clarify exactly how the contracting firms turn a profit from EBT, and what those profits are. Likewise, the Securities and Exchange Commission filings from the publiclytraded corporations in the EBT market, such as J.P. Morgan Chase, do not itemize revenues from EBT business. In other words, although we were able to obtain several state contracts for this report, information about exactly how much profit the banks make from this large tax-payer program, at a time when Congress is threatening cuts to those in need, remains unavailable. J.P. Morgan Electronic Financial Services: Sampling from three states 59 Florida: 5-year agreement due to terminate June 2013 unless renewed. For this 5-year period, the estimated cost is $83.5 million about $16.7 million a year. (Note: all contract totals are for all EBT services, but most of this is SNAP.) Fees from July 2008 to December 2011, covering 3.5 years of the 5 year contract, have already topped $80 million. Assuming monthly fees in 2012 and 2013 are exactly the same as in 2011, the total fees for the contract period would top $123 million, a more than 50 percent increase over the original contract. New York (see table below and appendix): 7-year deal from 2005 through 2012, pays the bank $112 million; was recently amended (just a few months prior to the contract end date) to add $14.3 million, upping the total amount to $126 million. As in Florida, New York is paying more (nearly 13%) than the state budgeted for, and J.P. Morgan is receiving more than the bank anticipated at the outset of the contract. The New York contract offers a discount based on volume, charging fees ranging from $1.01 to $1.32 per case. Due to high volume, the state has been paying $1.01 per SNAP beneficiary per month, after hitting the top tier of 1.5 million cases. EBT fees on the rise: J.P. Morgan in New York and Florida STATE TERM CONTRACT VALUE* PROJECTED FEES** % INCREASE Florida 5 years $83 million $123 million 50% New York 7 years $112 million $149 million 33% * as estimated at the outset of the contract (all programs) ** assuming contract costs continue at current levels until contract expiration

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